Apparatus for sealing bottle closures



` 19 Aug 9 27 o. c. KAVLE APPARATUS FOR SEALNG BOTTLE CLOSURES Filed Feb. v25. 1926 Patented Aug. 9, .1927.

UNITED STATES- .l 41,6.'sa445 PATENT"oFF-ICE.l

OSCAR C. KAVLE, F SYRAC'USE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 WALLACE WEEKS AND JOHN A. PEASE, OF SKANEATELES, NEW 4YORK.

APPARATUS FOB SEALING BOTTLE CLOSBLES.

yApplication filed February This invention relates to'a method of and apparatus for adhesively sealing the caps or closures of milk bottles, and theli'ke, and has'for its object, to provide a novel 5 andv sim le method of applylng the adhesive,

by whic certain styles of closures maybe temporaril secured to the beaded mouths of the bott es, for-preventing accidental dis-f placement and unauthorlzed removal of theJ closure, as well'as for excluding dirt and germs fromA the bottle mouth. vAnd a further object is to provide a novel and simple apparatus, by means of which the method may be conveniently and eectively carried out,

the said apparatus being especially designed for effecting the positive and uniform sealing of the closures by a relatively small amount of the adhesive.'l v

. The various features and parts of the invention will be understood from the .detailed description which follows, and by reference to the, accompanying drawing, in which*- Figure 1 is a top plan view of the vat which contains the adhesive; showing the 25J mechanism that supports 'the bottle while the closure is being immersed in' the adhesive. Fig. 2 is a centralA vertical section, taken Online 2-2 of Fig. 1, showing the bottle in the sealing position, and the closure partially submerged in the liquid adhesive.

Fig. 3 is a broken sectional v1ew;showing -the tension controlled parts of the apparatus extended. Fig; 4 is a to plan view of the bottle neck; showing adgacentportions of the closure and bead coated with the adhesive, and-Fig. 45 is a. broken elevational view of the same.

It is to be expressly. vunderstood that the drawing is mere y illustrative of theobject 40 of the invention and accordingly shows one manner in which the invention may be prac- .ticed. In the drawing, 2 represents a vat or tray, shownpartially lled with'an adhesive w, which according to the resent showing is preferably melted para n, the top of the vat being normally open. Any suitable heat.- producing means not shown) nmay be employed for maintalning the paraliin in the melted state. Within the vat 2,v is vdisposed the mechanism by which a bottle, as 3, l having its mouth closed by a cap or closure 4, may be supported. during the sealingoper.- ation. v Th'e immerslng apparatus'comprrses a base 5, having a cylindrical body 5', whleh 25,1926. serial No. 90,711.

is supported above and clear of the bottom of the vat, by means of legs 5a. The body 5 1s bored out axially, as at 5",to receive a reclprocatable plunger'or pedestalH 6, upon Whose top end is rigidly mounted a cupshaped partI 6 that directly supports the bottle 3 during thesealing operatlon. The plunger 6 preferably supports a cushion spring 7, whose tension tends to normally hold the guard 6 extended and partially 65 submerged in the adhesive as shown in Fig. 3. The plunger 6 preferably extendsY a short distance below the body 5 and its lower y end is perforated to receive a pin 5, which prevents the plunger from being Withdrawn from the body, and also tends to limit the' vertical movements of the plunger and guard, during the sealing operations. The immersing apparatus is usually assembled, and the reciprocatable parts are adjusted, before the device is disposedin the vat 2. The vat is then lled wlth the adhesive w, the level of which is preferabl so vregulated that, when the bottle 3 is app ied to the guard 6, andthe said parts are de ressed for sealing the cap 4, their downward movement is arrested by the lower end of the plunger contacting with the bottom 2 of the vat as shown in Fig. 2. The depth of thecliquid a: may be gauged by any suitable level gauge, as for 55 example a groove or mark, as indicated on the inner walls of the vat at 2a (see Figs. 2 and 3). As each bottle is immersed in' the adhesive and removed, the spring 7 ,lifts the plunger and Huard to the idle position shown 9U in Fig. 3. rdinarily the immersing parts f are normally submerged to the extent shown' in Fig, 3, wherein the level of the adhesive' coincides substantially with the plane of the bottom ofthe guard 6. `When theappa- 95 ratus is in the latter position the plunger 6v -is spaced from the` bottom of the vat 2, a distance corresponding to the downward or sealing stroke of the pedestal andl related parts, and is calculated 4to permitthe dip- 100 ping of the bead of the bottle mouth substantially'to the extent shownvby the oblique shading in Figs. 4l and 5, in which the paraffin m is applied in a relatively narrow annular band upon the peripheral margin 4105 of the .closure 4, and a similar band of the adhesiveis shown applied to the bead 3a, of the bottle.` By this method, owing to. the searching nature of the hot para-ihn, the latter penetrates 'the joint between-the cap 4 110 1 ture, and when applied to the bottle, acts asV tween the cap and bead, and holds the said parts securely while -the bottle is being handled, at the filling station, along the delivery route, as well as While awaiting use of the contents of the bottle, yet the cap 4 may be readily and quickly removed by the application of a sligh-t pryingfforce, as by the use of the fingers, or a table knife, for breaking the seal. The paraflin in vat 2 is preferably -maintained at a high temperaa sterilizer, and being tasteless and odorless, and devoid of acids or other disagreeable or dangerous qualities, is not liable to contaminate or foul thecontents of the bottle when the latter is poured over the portion of the bead 3 that is still coated with the adhesive. Paraflin is comparatively cheap, and when applied in a relatively narrow band, as shown, enables me-to effect a satisfactory seal of the bottle mouths at slight expense. Furthermore, by sealing the bottle caps as herein shown and described, unauthorized breaking of the seal for tampering with or extracting the contents of the bottle may be instantly detected by the consumer at a glance.

The cap 4 is preferably made of pliant somewhat absorbent fibrous stock, to which l the sealing agent readily adheres, and which insures the' effective sealing, as explained; By the 'method and means herein shown and described, the sealing of the bottles may be eected at the rate of one bottle per second. When thefrelatively narrow annular lip 6cl of the guard is oap4, as shown 1n Fig. 2, the weight of the bottle 3 supplemented by the pressure exerted by theA operator during the immersing operation, ordinarily prevents the paraffin from escaping intol the cavity of the guard.

wardly extending flexible guides 6", which 'Leo In case any of the adhesive enters the said cavity, the liquid may drain offI by means of a small lopenmg 6, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. In practice, the lip 6d of the'guard is arranged to expose only the relatively narrow annular fplqrtion, as 4a of the cap, to the heated para and in order to effect the substantial registry of the bottle mouth with the guard 6, the latter is provided with upare preferably spaced equidistantly around the ange 6d, as shownin rFigsfl, 2 and 3. These ards, in addition to effecting the axial allgnment ofthe bottle and guard tend to prevent the displacement of the bottle laterally duringthe sealin operation.

The temperature of the ottle's and caps is usually relatively low as compared with the temperature of the adhesive w, and the adroperly seated against the-l .the peripheral margin hesive therefore readily and quickly chills' i and sets, whichl greatly facilitates the rapid sealing and handling of the bottled products.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is* v l. In an apparatus for supporting a bottle during the'sealiug of a closure that overlies the bottle mouth, the combina-tion with a vat adapted to be partially filled with a heated liquid adhesive, of an immersing mechanism comprising a base supported by the bottom of the vat, a'. vertically reciprocatable plunger supported by the base. the top end of said plunger comprising a cupadapted to receive thecoveredpmouth of the bottle when the latter is inverted, tension means for normally holding said cupabove the level of adhesive, said cup and said plunger adapted to be depressed by the Weight of the bottle, for immersing portions of the head of the bottle mouth and the periphery of the closure in the adhesive, and means for gauging the submerging stroke of the said plunger and cup.

'2. In ai device for immersing the mouth of a bottle closed by a cap the combination with a vat adapted to be partially filled withV a heated liquid adhesive, a base having a tubular body supported by legs that rest upon the bottom of the vat, a plunger reciprocatable in said tubular body, the top end of said plunger being formed with a cup-shaped guard, .the annular lip of said guard adapted to engage the bottle closure near its peripheral margm, tension means for normally holding the lip of said guard above the level of said adhesive, said plunger adapted .to be depressed a measured distance for effecting the immersion ofthe exposed margin of the closure .and the ortion of the bead of the bottle mouth a jacent the closure,

and fiexible guides spaced around said guard for effecting the re istry of the bottle mouth 'with the lip of sai guard.

comprising a base that rests upon the bottomof the vat, a pedestal supported by and reciprocatable in a Vvertical plane in said base,

a cup-shapedguard mounted on the top end of said pedestal having an annular lip of smaller 'diameter than the closure adapted when an inverted bottle is applied to said guard, to engage the closure and to expose thereof, `a spring adapted .to normally hold said li above the level of theliquid adhesive, said pedestal and guard adapted to be depressed for immersing the exposed margin of. the closure and the adjacent portion` of the bea'd of the bottle mouth in the hot adhesive, and means v for gauging `the vertical movementof the la .y

l pedestal andibottle for applyin a'relativel narrow band-like coating of a esive to sai closure and-bead.

4.' In. anapparatus closures, container means for holding liquid adhesive means in the container means engage the closure and lcover the part of the closure which registers with the' mouth of the bottle, and means for mounting one of said two first named means for movement relative to the other whereby to cause the bottle and its closure to en agewith the adhesive below the surface of t e latter so as to apply adhesive to the bottle and its closure.

5. In an apparatus for sealing bottle closures, container means for holding liquid adhesive, means in the container to engage the closure and cover the part of the closure which registers with the mouth of the bottle', means to mount the covering means movement above and below lthe surface'of the n for sealing v bottle,

y 1,680,446 -I ,i 8

adhesive, and means to. normally dispose the covering meansabove the surface of the adhesive.

v 6. In an apparatus for sealing bottle closures, a liquid adhesive container, a spring the plunger to engage the closure and cover that part of the closure which registers with the mouth of the bottle, and means to mount lmovement of the plunger to .cause the coverin means to move below the level'o'f the ad lesive, said plunger being of a length to engage the bottom of the container upon downward movement thereof thereby to predetermine the degree of submergence of the covering means in the adhesive. l

In testimony whereof I aix my signature. OSCAR C. KAVLE.l

to. pressed plunger 1n the container, means on 

